Medford Police launch murder investigation after body found at Best Western motel

The Medford Police Department has launched a murder investigation after discovering a man’s body at the Best Western Horizon Inn on Sunday night.

Officers responded to the motel on Barnett Road just after 8 p.m. for an assault report. Arriving at unit number 136, Medford Police said that they found the body of a 28-year-old man in the room.

“Injuries to the deceased male were consistent with an assault,” Medford Police said in a brief statement.

The victim was identified as 28-year-old Jeffrey Blackwood.

Officers found a suspect in the assault, identified as 18-year-old Jackson Frischman, at the scene. He was taken into custody without incident and lodged at the Jackson County Jail.

Frischman was arraigned on Monday in Jackson County Circuit Court and charged with Murder in Second Degree and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. The latter charge references a baseball bat that Frischman allegedly had “with intent to use unlawfully” against Blackwood.